CHANDIGARH: The previous Congress government handed over the ruling AAP an immediate and medium-term liability of Rs 24,351 crore while demitting office in March, claimed finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema while tabling a white paper on the state finances in the Vidhan Sabha on Saturday that mentioned "Punjab is in an economic morass and debt trap".
The debt stood at Rs 2.63 lakh crore (2021-22 revised estimates), 45.88% of gross state domestic product and up by 44.23% in last five years that translates into a compounded growth rate of 7.60% per annum, according to the white paper presented two days before AAP government's first state budget.
